Rest Of India Squad For Irani Cup Announced, Sarfaraz Khan Named Vice Captain

Sarfaraz Khan to captain Rest Of India squad. [Source - AFP]The BCCI announced the Rest of India squad for the upcoming Irani Cup on Wednesday, September 16. The Men’s Selection Committee named the squad for the contest against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir.The Irani Cup clash between Rest of India and Jammu & Kashmir is scheduled to begin on October 1 in Srinagar. The latest development also hands Sarfaraz Khan a significant responsibility in the Rest of India setup.Sarfaraz Khan Named Vice-Captain in Rest of India Squad for Irani CupThe BCCI has announced a 15-member Rest of India squad for the 2026 Irani Cup, with Sarfaraz Khan receiving a key leadership responsibility. He has been named vice-captain for the contest against Jammu & Kashmir, serving as deputy to captain Rishabh Pant.Sarfaraz Khan has a strong record for Rest of India, scoring 168 runs in three innings at an average of 56, including a century. Overall, he has amassed 407 runs in five Irani Cup innings at an average of 101.75, with an unbeaten 222 being his highest score in the tournament.Rest of India squad for Irani Cup 2026: Rishabh Pant (C, WK), Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Sarfaraz Khan (VC), Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal [WK], Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, Ayush Doseja. Akash Deep Included Subject to Fitness as Rest of India Squad Takes ShapeAkash Deep’s inclusion, subject to fitness, is another big talking point from the Rest of India squad. The pacer has been out of cricket action since February after suffering a lower-back stress injury, which also forced him to miss the IPL 2026 for KKR.Rishabh Pant will lead the side after missing India’s ODI squad against West Indies, while Sarfaraz Khan adds experience alongside him in the middle-order. Sudip Gharami is another experienced name, having previously been picked in the Rest of India squad.The rest of the batting order features several new faces with Ayush Doseja, Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan and Smaran Ravichandran included after strong domestic performances. Aryan Juyal will be the second wicketkeeping option after Pant.Rest of India Squad 2026: New Faces’ Ranji Trophy 2025-26 StatsPlayersSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableRunsSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableAverageSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSmaran RavichandranSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table950SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table86.36SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableAyush DosejaSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table949SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table105.44SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableSanat SangwanSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table828SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table69SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableShikhar MohanSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table613SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table55.72SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableAlso Read: Nitish Kumar Reddy Continues To Build Himself Into India’s Fifth-Bowling OptionManav Suthar and Saransh Jain, who made their Test debuts in 2026, will lead the spin attack, while Anukul Roy adds a left-arm spin all-rounder option.Mukesh Kumar, who was the leading wicket-taker in the Duleep Trophy 2026 with 12 wickets, left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary and Aryan Pandey bolster the pace options alongside Akash Deep, who remains subject to fitness.Rest of India Record in Irani CupRest of India have featured in 62 Irani Cup editions, winning 30 and finishing runners-up 30 times. The remaining two editions ended with shared honours, highlighting their long-standing presence in the competition’s history for decades.However, recent results have been less dominant. In the last five completed Irani Cup editions, Rest of India have lost twice, against Mumbai in 2024 and Vidarbha in 2025, while winning the other three matches.The challenge now comes against Jammu and Kashmir, who will make their maiden Irani Cup appearance after winning their first Ranji Trophy title in 2025-26, defeating Karnataka on first-innings lead in the final.Also Read: Rishabh Pant Out Of 2027 World Cup? Fans React After India vs West Indies Squad Axing